Hay press



Oct. 21, 1941. p p MlLLER 2,259,530

HAY PRESS Filed April 8, 1938 INVENTORI PAUL P MILLER ATTORNEY.

/0" I BY Patented Oct. 21, 1941 HAY PRES S Paul P. Miller, Ottumwa,Iowa, assignor to Dain Manufacturing Company of Iowa, Ottumwa, Iowa, acorporation of Iowa Application April 8, 1938, Serial No. 200,822

Claims. The present invention. relates to hay presses and hasparticularly to do with block dropping means for dropping divisionblocks into the baling chamber. It is the principal object of thepresent invention to provide means for dropping the division blocksautomatically as the block holder arrives at dropping position.

More specifically, it is the object of the present invention to provideimproved and simple latch means for holding the block in place in theholder, and trip means for disabling the latch to drop the block whenthe holder has reached a predetermined dropping position.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of myinvention:

Figure l is a sectional side view of a portion of a hay press showingthe block holder in position intermediate its loading and droppingpositions;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the block holder indropping position with the latch disabled; and

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure2.

Referring now to the drawing, the baling press comprises the usual framehaving fore and aft extending angle iron bars III to which sides II anda bottom (not shown) are secured, enclosing a baling chamber which isindicated in its entirety by the reference numeral I2. The material tobe baled is fed into the baling chamber I2 and is therein compressed bythe usual plunger; the completed bales being pushed rearwardly along acompression chamber I0 defined by the angle iron members I0. Divisionblocks I3 having grooves I4 through which the binding wire is fed, areplaced between the bales, and heretofore this operation has beenperformed by hand, the blocks being placed in position to the rear ofeach bale after it has been pushed out of the baling chamber I2 andalong the compression chamber Ill. The block I3 must be dropped intoplace in the baling chamber I2 before or simultaneous with the freshcharge of material to be compressed, and must be fully seated in properposition before the beginning of th next compression stroke of theplunger. Should the block I3 fail to seat properly and the plunger ramthe following charge of material thereagainst, the result quitefrequently is breakage of the block or damage to the machine.Consequently it has been necessary to run the machine at a slower speedto permit more accurate placement and timing of the division blocks,reducing the capacity of the press.

With the above in view I have provided means for quickly and accuratelydropping the blocks into place, said means comprising a' holder,indicated generally at I5, which is pivotally connected to the pressframe for swinging about a transverse axis between a loading positionand a dropping position. The block holder I5 includes a frame I6 havingfour sides disposed in the form of a rectangle and adapted to receiveone of the blocks I3, as shown in Figure 1. The upper edge of the frameI6, as viewed in Figure 2, is fiared outwardly as at IT to facilitateplacing the block into the frame. The block holder I5 is swingablysupported on the hay press frame by means of legs which are fixed to theback side of frame I6 and which are pivotally connected at 2I to lugs 22fixed to the top angle iron bars I 0. A short leg 23 is welded orotherwise suitably secured to the leg 23 adjacent the pivot connection2| providing a stop which is adapted to bear upon the top of angle ironbar I0 when the block holder is swung back into loading position, 10-

cating the frame I6 in a convenient position for placing blocks I3therein, A U-shaped strap 24 is fixed to the legs 20 intermediate theends thereof to provide a handle for swinging the block holder fromloading to dropping positions.

The block I3 is held in the frame I6 by means of a spring latch 25comprising a strap 26 which is pivotally connected midway of its lengthby a pin 30 to a U-shaped bracket 3| fixed to the frame I6. One end ofthe strap 26 is bent into the shape of a transversely disposed wedge 32which is adapted to extend through a recess 33 cut into the lower edgeof the side of the frame and projects above the surface of the insidethereof to engage a shoulder 34 formed in the lower edge of the blockI3. The other end of the strap 26 is provided with a rectangular slot 35cut back from the end of the strap to receive a post 36 which is fixedperpendicular to the frame I6. A compression spring 40 encircling thepost 36 between the strap 26 and frame I6 exerts pressure against thestrap to hold the wedged end 32 yieldingly against the block shoulder34. A retaining washer 4| and cotter pin 42 hold the slotted end of thestrap 26 from going beyond the end of the post 36.

The spring latch 25 is disabled by means of a trip bar 43 comprising anangle bracket which is bolted or otherwise suitably fixed to the strap26 and which extends beyond the plane defined by the lower edges of thelegs 20. {is the block holder I5 swings down into dropping position andthe legs 20 descend upon the upper edge of the baling chamber side I I,the trip bar 43 strikes the edge of the side of the chamber a momentbefore the legs 20 strike, depressing the trip bar 43 and strap 26against the pressure exerted by the spring 40. This causes the wedgedend 32 to be withdrawn into the recess 33, permitting the block l3 todrop down into the baling chamber under the force of its momentum andguided by the broad sides of the frame 16. I

The advantage of this type of construction is that the block l3 can beloaded into the holder frame 16 in a convenient loading position, and

the holder then swung quickly into dropping position by means of thehandle 24 to drop the block into the chamber at just the right "Incment. Inasmuch as the block is dropped each time from the samepositionwith the frame l6 acting as a guide, placement of the blocks ismore accurate and damage due to improper seating is practicallyeliminated. Another important feature is-the fact that the operator isnot required to reach dow'n into the baling chamber while placing theblocks and therefore is not exposed to the danger of getting a handcaught between the plunger. and baling chamber.

What I claim as my invention is:

r 1'. In a hay press having a body including a baling chamber, means fordropping division blocks into said baling chamber comprising a blockholder pivotally connected to said body for swinging movement between aloading position anaan'roppmg position; releasable latch means carriedon said holder for holding the block in place, and trip means'engageable with said hay press body as said holder swings into'droppingposition for moving said latch means to inoperative position.

- 2. In a hay pressghaving a body including a baling chamber, means forI dropping d v1s1on blocksinto said baling chamber comprising a blockholder connected to said body for swinging movement between a loadingposition and a dropping position, a latch pivotally connected to saidblock holder and adapted to engage and restrain the block heldtherein,springmeans for yielding-' 1y holding said latch against theblock, and trip means comprising an arm fixed to said latch and adaptedto contact said body when said holder swings into umppmg esmon to pivotsaid latch against the pressure of said spring means out of engagementwith the block and permit the latter to drop into said baling chamber.

3. In a hay press having a baling chamber, a block 'dropper comprising ablock holder, 21, pair of supporting legs fixed thereto, means pivotallyconnecting said legs with said hay press whereby said holder isswingable from a loading position to a dropping position over saidchamber, said legs being adapted to contact the side of said chamber toarrest the movement of said holder when the latter has reached saiddropping position, a releasable latch for retaining a block in saidholder, and trip means engageable with the side of said chamber as theholder approaches ba-ler frame for moving said latch to inoperativeposition as the holder approaches dropping position.

5. In a hay press having a. body including a bali'ng chamber; a devicefor dropping division blocks into said baling chamber comprising a blockholder supported on said body for vertical swinging between a loadingposition and a droping position over said chamber, a releasable latchpivotally connected intermediate its ends to said block holder, saidlatch having one end shaped to engage said block for restraining thesame against dropping, a spring acting against the other end of thelatch to hold said one end in engagement with the block, and a trip armfixed to said latch adjacent {said other end, said trip arm beingengageable withsaid body as the block holder approaches said droppingposition for moving the latch out of engagement with the block againstthe tension of said spring to allow the blockto drop into the balingchamber.

' PAUL P.

